The Argonian Affair
by HisNameIsNotPipBoy
Summary: The Kingdom of Argonia has had a very colorful history. Regicide, civil war, corrupt kings, and angry gods, among other things. Tales here include how Argonia won the grand Tamrielic War, how the king did battle with the Daedra, how a simple farmer discovered a lost empire, and many more.
1. Revolution

The King lay in a puddle of his own blood on the floor of the Palace of Stormhold. Standing over him was his best general and his most trusted friend. "I'm sorry, My lord, but you sold us to the Dominion. Surely you didn't think your acts wouldn't go unpunished, did you?" And with that, General Albionis, the leader of the rebels, drove his sword into the monarch's heart. The dynasty of the An-Xileel had come to an abrupt end.

Not long after the siege of Stormhold, the Aldmeri outpost was sacked by Albionis' rebellion. Not a single man was taken prisoner. No quarter was given. The elves fought like cornered dogs to the militia which had come to have them join their former king. Blood stained the water of the marsh for weeks to come, until every Altmer in Argonia, Aldmeri or not, lay in a bloody heap outside the gates of the city.

Black Marsh was finished. In it's ashes rose the Kingdom of Argonia, with King Albion I as it's leader. For a brief period, an anxious peace reigned. That is, until on the Third of First Seed, when the Kingdom faced its first major problem.


	2. The Aldmeri Ultimatum

"To whomever is the monarch of the Kingdom of Black Marsh: you have committed crimes against the Aldmeri Dominion in your land. Surrender to the Dominion, or be annihilated. Please reply with haste, for we grow impatient with those who oppose our empire."

Albionis put the note to the side. He made his way to the meeting hall of the palace, a monument to an ancient way of life. The corridor to the armory lay in disrepair, not because Argonia was peaceful, but because they could not afford to have it rebuilt.

The old door to the room of ordinance nearly fell of his hinges when the young king opened it. Inside stood his three most trusted commanders: Vlad'ek of Archon, a young man with a well built frame who had proven himself in the An-Xileel army, Y'tel Bythwater, an escaped Dunmer slave and respected warrior, and Legate Artak'za of Lilmoth, a man with a proven record of victories for the old dynasty.

"Gentlemen, we have received an ultimatum from the Dominion. Capitulate or be annihilated."

"We'll fight them to the last," replied Y'tel, "We've made it this far, we can't afford to lose all we've worked for."

"The last thing we need is a war." retorted Artak'za, "we can't possibly survive an attack from the Dominion in our vulnerable state."

"I'd say the odds are in our favor." responded Vlad'ek, "we have a major terrain advantage. It will be like the Oblivion Crisis all those years ago."

The meeting went on for another three hours, before an agreement was made. Within a week, the High Scribe of Somerset, one Lord Laemor, received a response from the Argonians.

"If you want our homeland, you'll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands."


	3. Bythwater’s Gambit

General Y'tel Bythwater was a lot of things to a lot of people, but he was nobody's fool. His first military engagement, a slave revolt in Morrowind, ended with two-hundred Argonian slaves killing their masters, raiding a fort for weaponry, and successfully defeating a Redoran army battalion with minimal casualties. These slaves, colloquially referred to as the Mournhold Brigade, were heroes as soon as they entered the gates of Gideon. They had been beaten relentlessly, overworked, and their tails were severed to show their servitude to their Dunmer masters. But on they marched, liberated, bloodied, and free.

Y'tel's plan for the inevitable invasion was one for the ages. First, he ordered the cities of Gideon and Stormhold to be evacuated as quickly as possible. Next, he stationed prisoners and An-Xileel sympathizers in the emptied cities, dressed in Standard Armor. He expected these cities with their forgiving terrain to fall quickly, causing the enemy to lower their expectations for the rest of the expedition. Stormhold was the old capital, but Albion moved it to Archon for it's strategic location away from the grasp of the Dominion.

Once the Dominion captured the "capital", Y'tel knew they would continue into Argonia until all of her people were beaten into submission. He ordered his finest men to be stationed in the cities of Soulrest, Thorn, and Holstrom. The Dominion Armies, having won easily at the previous cities, will have lowered their expectations of resistance and won't use as many resources for the next few cities. There, they will be crushed by the battalions stationed there.

The final part of the plan was to plant a dead "soldier" near the border with Argonian battle plans. These were to be laced with bits of truth, however, as Y'tel knew they would see through this diversion. Like the Prince Sheogorath, he was a master of psychological manipulation.

A messenger was sent to plant the body on a tree just outside Leyawiin. Through the trees, he could see a sight which turned his scales white. An Aldmeri battle standard.


End file.
